Keep With Me
by Merry Monarch
Summary: After a chaotic relationship, Richard is determined to move on with his life. New in high school, he forms a friendship with Kory, one that threatens to spill into feelings far beyond that. Throw in her possessive boyfriend, and things can only get worse.


**Disclaimer: I'll have world domination before I'll have ownership of the Teen Titans.**

After a tumultuous relationship with his girlfriend, Richard is determined to move on with his life. He's new in high school and forms a friendship with the beautiful redhead, Kory, one that threatens to spill into feelings far beyond that. He soon learns how dangerous the consequences can be. Throw in her possessive boyfriend, and things can only get worse...

Chapter One: Inside the Social Zoo

***

Richard sipped some coffee from his disposable to-go cup, snapping his fingers just as his friend was about to doze off comfortably in the passenger seat of his Tahoe. "You have to stay awake, Wally. We're almost there."

Rubbing the outer corner of his eye, Wally raised his head off the headrest. "I'm up," he said groggily, silently wishing for a few more minutes of sleep before having to endure the next seven hours of academic torture.

"Yeah, right," Richard said with a laugh as he drove. He turned back to the road and took another sip, the black coffee warming his insides. It added a nice touch to the cool December weather. Again, he looked to his friend who stared straight out the windshield, almost zombified. "You know, you could've at least _attempted_ to fix your hair this morning."

"Huh?" Wally brought down the visor, using its mirror for a quick inspection of his freckled face and hair. He mouthed curses under his breath as he used the palm of his hand to smooth down the stubborn piece of red hair that dared to stick out of place. "Again, what was the reason for our getting to school so early?"

"Parking wars, my friend."

Richard could see the three-story high institution and its spire coming into view. The school building was constructed of red brick, consisting of a main structure with north and south wings attached, and a singular one-hundred forty foot spire that dominated the western part of downtown Gotham City. Established nearly a century ago, the building remained in rather impressive condition, a few minor updates notwithstanding.

He made a left turn, coming up to the parking lot, and entered the parking area designated for students to find it almost full. "Damn it." The frustrated driver heaved a sigh; he had gotten there twenty minutes early for this exact reason! "It takes me ten minutes just to find a decent parking spot in this place." He scoped an opening but scowled when he was beat to it by a careless but fast Camry. "See what I mean?" Wally nodded, seeing their predicament. A decent parking space was always hard to find, but thanks to Wally's vigilant eye, Richard managed to squeeze his black Tahoe in between an old Mazda truck and a lime decal-covered Beetle.

They unbuckled their seat belts. "So you think Gar and Rachael are here yet?"

Wally shrugged, "Rachael, may be. Gar, I highly doubt it. He has this thing against being on time."

"It interferes with his beauty sleep, he told me."

"Beauty sleep?" Wally snorted. "Hell, hibernation couldn't help him defeat the seven signs of ugly, as per Rachael's words." They laughed, but only in jest. The two knew if Gar had been there, he'd be laughing right along with them. That was just the kind of laid-back guy he was.

Richard killed the engine to his SUV, finishing what was left of his coffee while his friend sat in the passenger seat, covering his mouth as he yawned. "Hey, grab my bag for me, will you?" He waited as the redhead twisted in his seat, reached towards the back and handed him his backpack. "Thanks." He unzipped it, doing a quick check of his books and supplies, letting out a low depressed groan. Never did he think he would be spending his senior year like this.

It had been two weeks since his transfer from a prestigious private school in the suburbs of Gotham, and he was still getting the used to the transition to a public school. With it came new faces, new teachers, and a new onslaught of problems that normally came with high school. Friends were harder to come by than he thought, but he had managed to make three, four at the most, yet he had no classes with either of them. So they were forced to gather only during lunch and off campus. Needless to say, the students around here weren't too accepting of outsiders, and that was what Richard had been labeled right from the get-go. He didn't grow up with them, he didn't belong there. Simple as that. After all, it wasn't everyday the school received new students. So when they did, it was kind of a big deal.

"Come on, a _grown_ man living with a _kid_? _All alone_ in that mansion? What do you think is going on?" he heard someone whisper behind his back once. Yep. It didn't take long for the rumors to start swarming, as Richard judged from the low whispers that followed closely behind him, or the constant looks that were shot his way as he walked through the halls, to the abrupt silence when he entered a class. His name was on everyone's lips.

But now, the initial shock of his presence had begun to die down, that it didn't bother him so much anymore. He wasn't a fan of the attention, that was for sure. In fact, he was content to just blend in with the rest of the unwanted of Gotham West High School. It would help make senior year pass so much smoother. Of course, there were an occasional few who spotted his "new rich kid on the block" status right away, and made it their mission to let him know just how useless his money was going to be at buying him any favors from them.

Richard was drawn out of his thoughts at the sound of the passenger's bored moan.

From his seat, Wally watched as kids trudged past them to get to school, how cars crept by trying to find their own place to park and said, "Something tells me it's gonna be a _long_ day," he drew out the word.

"Oh, I don't know," Richard suggested, leaving the empty cup in the cup holder. "It's the dawning of a new day. Anything can happen."

"That's what I'm afraid of." He sunk further into the cushioned seat, letting his blue eyes shut for a second. "Graduation can't come soon enough. Then it's goodbye Gotham, hello life."

The driver sent a playful nudge to his friend's shoulder, "You sure you're awake, Wally?"

He yawned one last time. "Yeah," he said, lifting himself back up to grab his red backpack off the floor of the vehicle. "I'm wide awake now. And if I'm not, then Mrs. Moran's pop quiz this morning will surely do the trick," he joked.

They headed out of the car, with Richard slamming his door with more force than he had intended. Wally walked around the vehicle and joined him. The two made their way down the same path he'd just seen the kids take. "Seriously, I don't know why she calls it a pop quiz if she gives one every freaking Monday."

Richard flung his backpack over his shoulder, "Just don't go pulling any fire alarms as a way to deter it." Wally laughed, thinking just how well his friend knew him. Just as he made a reach for the handle to one of the entrance doors, the bell rang throughout the school. They exchanged a look of panic and hurried through the doors before they could be late for class. Inside the crowded hallway, they pushed their way through the mess of students who were rushing off to their lockers.

"Move it, Opie," someone jeered at Wally when they brushed shoulders.

"Hey!" he shouted back, still walking alongside Richard. He grabbed the straps of his backpack as it hung on his back. "Why does everyone in this school have to suck so much?"

"Would you rather he have called you Carrot Top like that moron from last week?" Richard pointed out, giving his friend a sympathetic grin.

Wally felt at his red hair, "Guess you got a point there." He had reached his locker and told Richard he'd see him at lunch, which he responded with a nod and walked on.

Richard's locker was on the far end of the hall, but had no need to stop since he had everything he needed for General Chemistry already in his bag. He heaved a big sigh, having to duck just beneath an oversized banner that hung in the middle of the hall. He wasn't surprised to see it was another sign praising the school's hockey team. If there was one thing Gotham West, alumni and faculty alike, was proud of, it was their three-time defending state champion hockey team, the Gotham Ice Bats.

_Okay, so all of Gotham and the neighboring districts are mighty proud of them_, he thought. Even he had attended a couple of their home games with some friends from school when the Ice Bats played over at the Knights Dome Sporting Complex. They were nothing short of unbeatable and a thrill to watch.

Richard moved to the far left end of the hall to avoid the group of kids that had congregated around a bench in the foyer near the office of the school. A spot he had come to realize was usually reserved the for the popular students, mainly consisting of jocks and their inner circle of friends. Quickly, he recognized Victor Stone, probably the biggest one of the group, to be one of them. He was an African-American, pie-loving, hulk of an athlete, with the brains to match.

Richard knew him. He was a pretty good guy actually, never giving Richard any problems. He only spoke to Victor once, and that was only after he had asked Richard a question about a problem in their Calculus workbook he'd been having trouble solving. But since then, he would always give Richard a distant wave whenever he saw him nearby. By his side was his girlfriend, Karen Beecher, as Richard had found out in his American Lit class. As much as Victor was determined and cool-headed, she was a stubborn firecracker. They'd been together since junior year, probably because Victor was too afraid to leave her.

Richard had reached the door to his class when he felt his backpack slip off his shoulder and drop to the floor. Someone had swept by him in a hurry, knocking it off. The guy turned with an apologetic frown on his face after he heard the thump Richard's bag made when it contacted with the floor. The tall speedster brought up his hands. "Sorry, man," was all he said before circling again to rush off to class. Richard bent down to pick it up, cursing the blond under his breath. He'd seen him around school, yet didn't know who he was, but read the name _Karras_ in script letters on the back of his letterman jacket.

By the time he had entered the class, he was surprised to see most of his classmates had made it before him. They were scattered throughout the room, some in desks, some chose to stand, all hanging out within their own groups. Though they didn't have assigned seats, everyone basically knew which seats belonged to whom, and he walked over to the desk he'd been sitting in since he first arrived. It was in the last row, in the far back of the classroom. And not long after, the same guy who sat beside him arrived to claim his desk once again. Richard groaned under his breath. _Why couldn't he be absent just once_, he thought.

Throwing his books on the desk, the loud noise managed to catch everyone's attention for a brief moment. The guy took his usual seat as he asked, "What's going on, King Rich? No golden throne to sit on this morning?"

Richard coiled his eyes, and his face grew stern. It was beginning to get harder to ignore him and his antics. Apparently he had it out for Richard, as he usually went out of his way to single him out any chance he got. It was a mystery as to why the resident punk, Xavier Redd, gave him so much hassle. Was it because Richard had money? Most of his taunts were centered around that particular subject. Was it because he was intelligent and academically inclined? He didn't think such a thing would matter to someone like Xavier. Did he steal his girlfriend? More than sure that was not the case since his last girlfriend was more than half a year ago at his old school, a grim experience Richard wished he could completely do away with.

He shook his head of any thoughts, saying coldly, "Piss off, Xavier."

Xavier scoffed at his terse reply. "Damn, you sure showed me there, Grayson."

It was then that a pale, lanky man in his late thirties had walked in through the door just as the final bell rang. "All right, kiddos." In a hurried fashion, he traveled to the front of the class, waving about the room before getting down to matters. "Take your seats, please."

"Where's Mrs. Allen?" a girl asked while the rest of the class got situated into their desks.

"Mrs. Allen has fallen ill with the flu, and no, I don't know when she'll be getting back, so don't ask," he answered with a no-nonsense type of attitude. "All we can do is hope she'll get better, and get back soon." Richard couldn't help but read the hopeful look in the man's sunken eyes. The substitute went to close the classroom door which he had absently left open. "So until then, I'm Mr. Percival for those who aren't familiar with me. I'll be subbing for her for the time being." He walked over to the teacher's desk and grabbed a sheet of paper. "Help me out with the roll call as I get to your name."

The substitute read through the attendance list rather quickly, and upon reaching Richard's name, looked up. "Grayson?" He scanned the class. "Do we have a Grayson anywhere?"

"Here." He raised his hand midway, before letting it fall back down. Some people had turned to look, but by then he'd already gazed back down to his notebook, doodling away on a piece of paper to pass the time.

"Hey," called out Xavier to the substitute, causing everyone to look his way. Richard waited to hear something idiotic come out of his mouth, mainly because that was the kind of person Xavier was. "In the future, Grayson would like to be addressed as 'Junior Warbucks', if it's not too much trouble."

Richard stared at the idiot who made the comment while the rest of the class looked at him as they laughed. Apparently, news of his outrageously wealthy adopted father, Bruce Wayne, had quickly made rounds through the halls of the school. No surprise there. And in high school, they either loved you for it, or hated you for it. Richard was siding with the latter.

"What's that you say?" Xavier leaned in, acting as if Richard had just whispered something into his ear. "Okay, got'cha," he nodded. "Hey, Teach," he called again. "From now on, 'Junior' prefers it if you bow in his presence like the humble servant you are."

There was only so much he could take from this...ass. Richard found himself clenching his fists tightly at Xavier's words. As befitting as it would be to knock him square across the face, he thought against it. The last thing he needed was to be expelled from another school.

The class continued to laugh, but the sound fell silent as Mr. Percival walked down the aisle until he was a good two feet away from Xavier's desk. The dark-haired troublemaker read his serious expression loud and clear, causing him to bring up his hands defensively. "Hey, just be happy 'Junior' didn't make you kiss his ring."

"What's your name, son?"

The badboy relaxed an arm behind the edge of his seat, sporting an arrogant smile. "X."

Richard want nothing more than to wipe his smug grin clear off his face._ Who the hell calls himself 'X'? Really?_

"X?" the substitute echoed, raising a brow at the teen.

"--avier," he finished smugly. "But _you_ can call me Mr. Redd."

The kids leaned further into their desks, their lips slowly curling upwards, loving anytime a student would go against any kind of school authority. It always made for a good show. Mr. Percival gave him a look, the kind that meant he was walking on thin ice. "You seem to think you're a funny guy, huh?"

"Oh, I've been called a lot more than that--" Giggles echoed around the room. "..._sir_," he added a little formality, however there was nothing formal about the tone he used.

Mr. Percival narrowed his eyes. "Let's get a thing straight here, _Mr. Redd_. I won't be taking crap from you kids. Is that clear?"

"Crystal," he grinned again, saluting with a couple of fingers, "..._sir_."

Mr. Percival walked back to the front of the classroom where he originally stood. He gazed at the seat just in front of his own desk, then looked to the attendance list, then back to the student who sat in the desk. "Ms. Anders, was it?"

It was Kory, the pretty girl with the long ruby-red hair and green eyes, her trademark assets, and that was pretty much all Richard knew about her, other than the weird fact that her parents had chosen to give her a boy's name.

She stopped nibbling on the tip of her pen and stared up from her notebook. "Yes?"

The substitute gazed to the back of the class. "Mr. Redd, why don't you come and switch places with Ms. Anders, here."

"Wh-hat?" she stuttered, her perplexed eyes on the teacher. She must have been caught off guard. "Me? You want me in the back?" She thumbed to the back of the room.

"Yes, if you don't mind." Mr. Percival looked back to Xavier, who growled quietly as he shifted in his seat. "I'd like Mr. Redd upfront where I can keep a watchful eye on him."

Kory looked behind her to where Xavier sat, her ruby eyebrows furrowed. Why was she not surprised? Slowly, she began getting her things together, exchanging a look with her friends who sat on either sides of her, their mouths draped open at the nerve of this teacher for moving their friend. She flung her tote bag over her shoulder and began walking to the back of the class, ignoring the soft humming of "The Funeral March" by some of her classmates.

"Sorry, cutie," Xavier teased as the two passed each other on the way to their new seats. "Meet me after class and I'll make it up to you."

"Shut up, Xavier," Kory said in a huff.

Richard's eyes wavered away from her as she neared closer to the desk. She settled into her seat, gently placing her books on the desk, and her chic tote bag on the floor just beside her. He took in a hard inhale of jasmine that had suddenly wafted around him, realizing it must have been her perfume. A far better smell than Xavier's cheap cologne.

Forty minutes into the period, and Richard had managed to fill up two pages worth of notes into his notebook. This teacher was just as bad, if not worse with the lesson plan than Mrs. Allen. But unlike most substitutes, Mr. Percival had an extensive knowledge on the subject of molecular structure, that Richard had to admit impressed him.

Richard tore away his electric blues from his notes and peeked over when he heard a soft giggle from the girl seated beside him. Kory was in the middle of reading a text message off her cell phone. She giggled again, though not as soft this time. It wasn't until the thundering and offensive sound of a book shutting close, did she jump in her seat, startled and fumbling with her pink phone.

"Ms. Anders," Mr. Percival pronounced tightly during mid lesson, still holding on to his textbook. He was a bit more than a little peeved. Richard turned to his right to see his victim, as did the rest of the class. "Something you find interesting in your phone that you'd like to share with the rest of us?"

She shook her head, "No, sir."

"I see." He crossed his arms. "Then I suppose it's just me. I'm boring you?"

It was unlike her to be impudent, but she smiled innocently. "I'm sure you didn't mean to." There were a few snickers, and she quickly realized it was a bad choice of words when she viewed his face redden. He grumbled something under his breath, something that Richard knew couldn't be good.

"Since you believe you've absorbed enough knowledge that you feel the need to interrupt my lesson, won't you mind telling me what is a form of a chemical element whose atomic nucleus contains a specific number of neutrons, in addition to the number of protons that uniquely defines the element?"

Kory's mouth dropped.

The man grew impatient. "You did read the chapter lesson, did you not?"

She uttered a partly stifled laugh. "Read...skimmed," she said the latter lowly while the rest of the class had joined in with their own snickers. But Mr. Percival remained deadpanned, finding no humor in the matter. Her grin faded. "I mean, yes, sir."

"Then answer correctly and I might not make you, along with the rest of your classmates, _who all seem to share your humor_--" his voice boomed as his eyes ranged over the students' anxious countenances, his own face reddening once more, "...have to write the chapter definitions."

This man had issues, Richard thought. Nothing that a good therapy session couldn't cure.

"All _fifty_ of them, Ms. Anders." Mr. Percival returned to the chalkboard, scribbling something pertaining to a molecular equation.

Her eyes widened with much apprehension. With his back facing the class, she scanned her friends' faces for the answer, but their guess was as good as anyone's. They brought their hands up with a quiet, "I don't know." What did she expect? They weren't known for their academic skills. She looked around the room, but no one knew because no one had bothered to read the chapter lesson.

"I'm waiting," the man sing-songed, still working out the equation, his concentration more on the chalkboard than the class itself.

One thing Kory did not need was the guilt of having more workload issued for the entire class on her shoulders. She could only imagine the crabby stares she'd be receiving at the end of class.

Richard could see her trying to skim through the pages of her notebook in search of the answer. The sight was like a bad train wreck, nearly impossible to gaze away from.

"It's…" she searched, her eyes dancing on the pages. "I believe the answer to be…" she enunciated every syllable as a way to gain more time, desperately rummaging through the pages in her textbook. This tactic was becoming less and less successful.

"Yes?" Mr. Percival questioned absently, his focus entirely on the long formula.

There was something so innocent about her demeanor that Richard found himself feeling sorry for her. Well that, and he didn't feel like dealing with wordy definitions tonight. He leaned in a bit, not fully looking at her. "Isotope," Richard whispered with a watchful eye on the teacher.

Kory turned to him, catching the sound of his voice, though not clear on what he said. "What?" she mouthed just as quietly.

But this time, Richard did look at her, finally taking in just how green her eyes really were. "Isotope," he tried a little louder.

With the last flick of his hand on the board, Mr. Percival had finished his equation, and turned back to her. "Well, Ms. Anders? What is the answer?"

She wrinkled her forehead, saying nervously, "Isotope."

The man made a face. It was more of an expression of shock. "Very--" he cleared his throat, "very good. At least _someone_ cared enough to read the lesson." He focused on the board again, readying to explain the solution to the class.

With a toothy grin forming on her face, Kory turned to Richard, ready to thank him for his help. She closed her mouth just as quickly, he was already busy jotting down notes. She took a lesson from him, bringing out her pen that had been tucked in her binder and began scribbling her own notes.

The last twenty minutes of class were tedious and uneventful, with the exclusion of a few disruptions from Xavier, that when the bell rang for dismissal, everyone practically stampeded out of the room.

Richard traveled to his locker, spun the combination lock and grabbed his books for next period. "And only three more hours to go," he heard a stoic voice behind him say. He looked over his shoulder to see it was Rachael Roth's petite figure walking past him, stopping long enough to utter a few words of support before walking off to her next class. He smiled, grabbing his Calculus I book before shutting his locker door and walked in the opposite direction.

* * *

Richard stood in front of the vending machine located at the entrance of the senior wing, going over the limited possibilities in his mind. It was lunchtime and he could practically hear the pink Sno Balls calling out to him. Luckily, he actually had a chance to use the stupid machine this week. After a month of it being out of order, maintenance must have finally gotten around to fixing the cash dispenser, the very one that had eaten his dollar two weeks ago. He took out two bills from his wallet for himself, then a couple more after figuring his friends would like something for themselves, too.

Just as he had made the last of his selection, he heard his phone go off. It was a text message from Wally wondering on his whereabouts. He text back that he was grabbing some snacks. He heard footsteps in the quiet hall, and looked behind him to see a pair of twin brothers approaching. In their Spanish accents, they greeted him with, "Hello, Richard," as they walked past him.

He waved in their direction, "Hey, Miguel...Manny." They made their way to the school cafeteria. Richard grimaced inwardly at the idea of having to eat in there.

He hadn't enjoyed the cafeteria since day one of his arrival. It was enough of a pain having to ingest the meatloaf surprise, all the while having to decide where to sit inside the social zoo that didn't deem him a social pariah. So when Wally West first befriended him, he was relieved to learn their "spot" was located outside at a series of secluded stone table and benches behind the senior wing. One table always remained theirs. Now and again, other friends would appear for a quick chat, but it was usually the four of them that sat there. Though lately, other groups had been visiting and gathering at the other tables nearby, making their spot less secretive.

He looked to his watch, realizing there was only fifty minutes left of lunch period. He bought a cola from the drink machine and hurried to meet with the gang. Their gang consisted of four seniors; three guys and a girl.

"About time," Wally said once Richard arrived and took a seat on the bench beside Rachael. He placed all the snacks on the table and listened to the conversation already going on between the group.

"Wait--" Gar ushered the tofu and avocado sandwich to Rachael, who sat opposite him. "Just give it a try."

"Would you get that foul thing away from me?" She shooed the snowflake-white curd sandwich away before turning her attention back to the novel he had rudely kept her from reading.

"But I brought one especially for you," he insisted.

Her dark eyes shot up at him. "Gar, in all the time that you've known me," she said, mildly annoyed, "have I ever once shown any kind of interest in tofu, much less avocados?"

"No."

"Then why would I start now?"

"Because you secretly want to see me happy?" he guessed with a shrug, washing down his sandwich with a small pint of soy milk.

"Guess again."

"Honestly, Gar. Don't you think you're overdoing it with this whole vegan lifestyle?" Wally suggested.

"No way! It's totally healthy for you and the food's great!" he enthused. "Here, try some." He offered him Rachael's rejected sandwich.

Wally brought up his hand, refusing it himself. "Not even if you paid me."

Richard laughed. The goons were always like this. He grabbed the snacks he had brought with him and tossed one to each of them.

Gar's eyes twinkled, "Thanks, dude! I love Twizzlers!" He kissed the bag containing the red licorice.

"So much for healthy," Rachael said, raising a brow at Gar.

Gar ignored her, opening the bag. "So how'd it go today?" he asked, trying to make conversation, which was pretty easy with a guy like Richard. He knew the newbie had been having a few problems adjusting to their school.

Richard opened his bag of Sno Balls. "Can't complain. At least the stupid whispers have stopped," he shrugged.

Wally joked, "That's because you've been dethroned. Emma Cartwright's pregnancy is all the buzz this week." He shot an awkward look at Gar after hearing him clear his throat loudly. "Oh, and of course," he patted the vegan's back, "Gar's 40th tardy for the school year should get some sort of recognition."

The men clapped their hands mockingly at his crowning accolade.

"Thank you, thank you." Gar bowed facetiously. "Although I have to say all the credit goes to Rita. If she hadn't chosen to wake me up fifteen minutes before school to fix my lunch, I wouldn't have the privilege of having to attend detention every day after school for the next week," he smiled through his teeth. Rita Farr was Gar Logan's guardian who took him in after the accidental death of his parents years ago.

The four looked over to the side doors of the wing after hearing someone come through from the other side. It was Xavier along with some of his "druggie" buddies, swaggering and laughing amongst themselves. It was amazing how even the air around him managed to hold a certain amount of cockiness. But it wasn't until he saw Richard sitting at the table that Xavier sported a cat-like grin, reminiscent of their morning incident. It was laughable, Richard thought. Did Xavier actually believe he was intimidating him? Richard held his stare until the raucous bunch were out of sight.

"Just forget about him," Gar interceded, waving off Xavier's stare. "He just likes getting your goat."

"For once, Gar's right," Rachael said, surprised the two actually agreed on something. "You probably didn't have to deal with teenage subcultures at that private school of yours, but the fact is that Gotham West, it's like a curse."

This earned a laugh from Richard. "Well, Gotham West is _nothing_ like Brentwood Academy but…" he shrugged, "I dunno. It's kinda growing on me."

"Yeah, like a cancerous mole just grows on ya," Gar said. Amazingly the whole table laughed, which was not the usual response from one of Gar's jokes.

Wally was about to reply, but instead his face blanched while his eyes widened as they stared just over the ward's head. Richard blinked back, alarmed. Before he could open his mouth, he felt a light tap on his back. He turned in his seat to see it was Kory, and waiting several feet away were a couple of her girlfriends. They were probably making sure to keep their distance from their table, almost afraid they would catch their sub par popularity like the cold.

"So this is where you hide off to," she smiled, straddling the bench just beside him near the edge where he sat.

After a moment of silence, he finally started talking. "Yeah, it's better than dealing with all the craziness," he gestured his head towards the general area of the cafeteria.

"Kory!" one of the impatient girls called, looking to her watch. "Sometime today!"

She waved for them to hold on, turning back to Richard. "Actually, I was looking for you. I didn't have a chance to say thanks for this morning."

"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad I could help," Richard replied, not knowing much else to say. Other than Rachael, she was the only other girl in school to have given him any sort of attention, despite being described as one of, if not the most popular and attractive back at Brentwood. But here, he was considered biohazard material.

Kory added, "I was going to get back to you after class, but you left in such a hurry."

"Oh, sorry. I didn't really wish to stay there longer than I had to."

She nodded in response. "Considering the circumstances, I wouldn't blame you." There it was again, that understanding smile.

It was then that Kory looked across the table, seeing Wally and Gar with the same mazed expression. "Hi," she waved, and they followed suit. More so for Wally who had a mad crush on the redhead. She leaned out to see who was sitting beside Richard, and smiled when she saw Rachael, who only gazed back down to her book. She didn't want to let on how disturbed she was by Kory's presence, or by how close she chose to sit by Richard.

Everyone exchanged looks, all except for Richard who continued looking to the redhead smiling back at him. From the corner of his eye, he could see the quizzical stares his friends were delivering him, all wondering the same thing. _What's going on?_ In fact, other than their conversation, it was a bit quiet and still. Mainly because it took time for Richard's trio of friends to sink in the notion that Kory Anders had just joined them at their table.

Yes, Kory. Their senior class president, and current member of the student council. As a former cheerleader, you could still find her hanging out after school, helping with choreographing the squad's latest cheers and routines, much to Katrin Moth's chagrin. It was because Kory still held the respect of the squad as their former captain, something Katrin, her successor, resented. She was winner of the district's Varsity Volleyball Sportsmanship Award, star of their theatre department, and was recently voted "Best Dressed" and "Most Cordial" by her peers. But it was what she did in between her extracurricular activities that made people see her in a special light.

You see, Kory was never one to shy away from charities, particularly those centered for the children of Gotham City. Last year, she successfully initiated a fund drive at the school for the sick patients of the local children's hospital, bidding her classmates to donate clothes, toys, basically anything that would help in bringing a smile to their sickly faces. Karras loved that maternal side of her. And just last month she aided in the city's Leukemia and Lymphoma Light-the-Night Walk, raising just under four-hundred dollars for the organization. But her favored charity above all others had always been the Art for Autism Festival. She always brought along her sister, and a couple of her friends each year to help make crafts for the children of the fundraising event.

Once out of his initial shock, Wally was the first to return to reality. He turned to his friend, crossing his arms on the table, curious. "So Richard, what'd you end up doing?"

Richard shook his head. "Nothing, really. Mr. Percival was being really crappy this morning and chose to take it out on Kory."

She put a hand on his shoulder, but moved it away just as quickly to pull back several locks of her lengthy bangs behind her ear. "He's too modest to say anything, but Richard saved me from the steps of the guillotine this morning," she explained. "Not to mention, the whole class from a long night of some unreasonable homework. All because I didn't know the answer to one of Percival's questions."

"Percival?" Gar and Wally exchanged a look. "Harvard reject," the guys said in-sync, already familiar with the substitute.

"Yeah," Gar added with a nod, "Percival's always giving me guff if I don't know an answer. He's crazed. Sometimes I think he inhales those toxic chemicals they keep stored in the lab." The whole table laughed, for the exception of Rachael who casually flipped a page in her book. Gar looked to Kory, "Sandwich?" ushering it to her.

She gazed down to the food, smiling and shaking her head politely. "No, thanks." It wasn't until Kory felt a firm grip on her shoulder that she looked up, as did Richard.

"Hey, I've been looking for you, babe," said a deep voice. It was the blond athlete from earlier. The one who had bumped into Richard, or rather his backpack.

"Karras," she called, a bit nervous. "I was just thanking Richard for helping me earlier." She did a quick point, indicating Richard. "Remember? I told you what happened in Mrs. Allen's class."

"Oh, right." The teen turned his gaze over to him. "So you're Richard?"

"Yeah."

"Alexandros Karras," he introduced himself, looking Richard up and down. It was impossible to know what he was thinking at the moment, but Richard couldn't deny that there was something scrutinizing about his stare.

Richard tilted his head, thinking. "Karras? That's an interesting surname. Greek?" He was quickly reminded of one of his best friends, who was also Greek.

He raised a blonde brow, "Actually, yes. It is." He turned to his girlfriend, wondering how much information she had revealed to the group about him, then back to Richard. "Oh, wait--" Karras snapped his fingers. "You're that new rich kid, huh? Graychild or something, that everyone's been talking about." Karras wasn't usually one to beat around the bush with certain things, or people for that matter.

Kory eyed her boyfriend with disbelief, bothered and embarrassed by his blatant attitude towards the new student. "Honey, it's _Grayson_, and I think he prefers to be called Richard."

Karras looked down to his beautiful girlfriend, wondering why she was even wasting her time at this table, or rather the people at it, in the first place. "So, _Richard_," he stressed his name for extra measure, "thanks for helping my girl out today, man." Karras held out a fist for him to bump, giving him a phony smile if he'd ever seen one. It took a couple of seconds before Richard realized what he was supposed to do, that by the time he brought up his fist, Karras had already pulled his away.

"Okay," Karras drew out the word, thinking just how lame he had to be to not figure out a simple hand gesture. The air around them felt awkward and tense. Breaking the silence, Karras continued. "Anyways, it's nothing new. Kory tends to get herself into these kinds of messes. It's all part of her charm, and we love her for it." He turned his eyes back to her and grabbed her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. "At least, I know _I_ do."

There was a small glint of anger in her green eyes. What was the point of him mocking her in front of them? She knew it was part of his humor, but it didn't mean she had to like it. "Well, I had a little help, you know. It was_ you_ texting me when I got caught," she tried defending.

"And I apologized for that already." Karras shrugged, giving her hand a kiss before letting it go to put his hands back into the pockets of his letterman. "So you ready? Everyone's waiting for us. Vic sneaked in a couple of pizzas." He took a fast scan around the table before gesturing his head for Kory to stand so they could leave. It was pretty apparent he didn't want to be there, nor did he want his girlfriend there.

She turned back to Richard, a crooked smile on her lips. "Thanks again." She raised herself off the bench. "Bye, guys," she said softly to everyone else. Karras gave the group a quick grin before slipping an arm around Kory as he led her away.

"Wow," Gar said once the burly athlete was out of earshot. He shook his head, biting into his sandwich. "He acts like we have the plague or something," he said, speaking with a mouth full of food.

Rachael grimaced at the sight of the sloppy mess, and resisted the urge to slap him. "That's because socially we do, Gar." She couldn't explain what was the root of her hostility towards the blond vegan. She only knew it was growing. A sentiment that had sprouted after the tenth grade and only perpetuated through the years.

Of course, Wally's thoughts lay elsewhere. "So typical that 'Mother Pucker' would land someone like her."

"Who?" Richard questioned.

"Him," he spat, pointing to the jock's retreating back. "Karras."

"What did you expect?" Rachael asked. "He's the school's pride and joy, and the best player on the hockey team. Having her is just part of the package."

Gar swallowed back the contents in his mouth, and said, "I still remember in the tenth grade when Karras shoved my head into my locker and then slammed it shut on me."

Richard choked back on some soda. "Did he really do that?"

"You better believe it," Wally answered for him, following it with snicker.

Gar jolted him. "Shut up, dude. It wasn't funny at the time."

"But why?"

"My locker was just underneath his and he said my tofu sandwiches were always stinking his up." He rolled his eyes at the stupidity of it all. "And I was like 'whatever, dude'."

Rachael actually agreed with Karras on that notion. "Well, they are pretty terrible."

"Yeah, but even so," Richard stated, forming a half grin when Gar sported an offended pout. "That was a callous thing to do." _How can anyone have such disregard for someone's feelings?_

Richard wasn't surprised with how well Karras fit the role of the stereotypical egotistical athlete. Reaching over six feet tall, his height helped define his broad chest. His upper and lower body strength must have steamrolled the opposition in the ice rink. But it was his straight honeysuckle blonde hair and charismatic slate-gray eyes that lured girls under his spell, or at least for the moment Kory.

He looked back to Karras. One hand held the cell he was speaking into, while the other rested on his girlfriend's lower back, his fingers fiddling around with the tips of her hair.

"Guess you can see why some of us have dubbed him the 'Mother Pucker' of G.W. High. You know, come to think of it, it's been ages since he last pulled one of his "jock-u-lar" stunts on me. Maybe it means he's maturing. Finally."

"Yes, because you're the expert on maturity," Rachael snapped at him.

Wally rested his chin in his hand. "Don't bet on it, Gar. I heard Kory put a stop to his shenanigans once they started dating." He sighed, watching Kory's backside as she swung her hips when she walked. His sky-blue eyes centered on the sewn imprint of her designer jeans. "She's _so_ hot, she's burning me alive." His view suddenly became obstructed by a raven-haired bob with a pale face, and his mouth pouted. "Move for a sec, will you, Rachael?"

Rachael looked behind her, following his line of sight and rolled her eyes. "You're an idiot, Wally."

"Good observation, Rachael," Richard teased.

There was a hint of a grin on her lips, but she returned to her novel, scooting a bit out of Wally's way so he could claim a better view of the girl's posterior. She hadn't realized how close she moved near Richard until her body tensed when her senses caught the smell of his cologne. It was a blend of warm rose, moss, amber and sandalwood with a touch of an earthy and fresh witch hazel on his face.

Her dark eyes jumped to him as he spoke to Gar about something. She didn't know what exactly. It all sounded like incoherent noise, simply because she was too busy gazing at the profile of Richard's face to care. And it was that exact face that been preoccupying her mind lately.

Since the day Wally first introduced them, Richard's composed demeanor and warm smile had a way of putting her at ease. Richard could easily catch the attention of any girl, what with his exotic features, and jet-black hair always gelled and spiked at the crown of his head to perfection. It was simple and fresh, and wasn't overdone like most other hairstyles. His clothes, much like hers, were cool and casual, never overdressed or "high fashion", despite knowing he had the means to afford it.

She wondered what Richard would have thought if he knew just how much their closeness was affecting her. Would he even care? Quickly, she moved away from him. "Sorry," she mumbled lowly, clearing her thoughts of any such nonsense.

Richard turned to her, forehead wrinkled in confusion. "Huh?"

She supposed Richard hadn't noticed their slight contact after all. Too embarrassed to say anything, she dismissed it. "Nothing. Never mind."

"Perfection," Wally spoke again, finally tearing his gaze away from the redhead. "Don't you think so, Richard?"

Richard popped a chip into his mouth, looking back at the couple, and the two-girl entourage who followed closely behind, just in time to see them pass through a door that led to an area inside the school. He shrugged, "She's alright."

At this, Rachael looked up from her novel, surprised. Anyone could see Kory was beautiful. It was the kind of beautiful that made many do a double-take. _But just alright?_ Was he not fazed with physical beauty like most of the savage Neanderthals in this school?

"Besides, I don't think you'll get very far, Wally," Richard continued. "Seems like she already has a boyfriend who's more than willing to treat you like a human hockey puck." He gazed to Rachael, then to her unopened bag of licorice, smiling. "Guess you weren't too crazy for those after all, huh?"

He smiled just for her, she thought. It held an unguarded warmth that sent a shiver up her spine. Rachael could feel her hands begin to quiver when she looked at him, that she gazed back to the bag. "No, I like them," she shook her head. "I'm just saving them for Economics class. I'll need something to keep me awake," she said, turning her eyes back to the scripted words in her novel.

Richard chuckled and turned his attention back to the guys, adding to the conversation going on between the two.

* * *

The rest of the day was a pretty normal one. Other than lunchtime, nothing of interest happened. It was nearing the end of school, and Richard walked up to the door of his last period class. _Life Science. _Albeit is was a pointless course, there was just something about this class that made him dread it. Though it didn't help that the teacher, Ms. Willis, had begun eating at his last nerve. But what could he do? It was a required course; he needed two science credits for his senior year. _At least it's the last class of the day_, he thought.

Richard entered and again, took a seat in the far back of the classroom, slumping down in his chair. His backpack made a soft thud as it hit the floor beside him. The warning bell rang, and with it the last of the students filed into the classroom. His eyes caught a flash of red hair and he looked to see it was her again. He'd totally forgotten he had Kory for last period as well. She had entered with Victor, who had his bulky arms wrapped around her, squeezing her playfully as he ushered her to her seat, big smiles sported on both their faces.

"Karen! Do something with your man!" he heard the bubbly redhead shout from across the room. "He's impossible!"

A smile wanted to form on Richard's face, though it never fully did.

After the final bell rang, Ms. Willis wasted no time in commencing her class with a brief warm-up from last week's chapter. Afterward, she began handing each student a sheet of paper as she walked down each aisle, and past each desk. "I hope you all reviewed the Contemporary Family chapter like I asked over the weekend. If you did, then you'll have a better understanding of--"

Her voice was drawn out by the series of knocks at the door. "Yes?"

Two girls, a platinum blonde and a brunette who was donned in her cheer squad uniform, entered. The blond carried something resembling a big golden envelope in her hand, while the cheerleader held what Richard thought was a small jewelry box. There were several gasps, and Richard looked about the room wondering what had everyone lit up with chatter.

"Someone's getting pinned!" a girl squealed and clapped with excitement.

Ms. Willis walked around and perched on the edge of her desk. "Is it that time already?" she asked, not seeming to care that the girls had interrupted her lesson. This must have been some kind of school tradition that Richard wasn't familiar with.

The girls searched the faces in the classroom, smiling greatly when they had finally found their target. With glee, they neared her desk. "Kory Anders," they called in unison, "--as president of the Winter Formal Committee, it is my pleasure to announce that you have been nominated for Gotham West's Winter Sweetheart," the blond finished, after which a joyful smile formed on Kory's lips. At the news, several girls and a couple of guys gathered at her desk, including Victor and Karen.

Richard made a face. It was one of disbelief._ A nomination for some kind of beauty pageant?_ That was what had everyone stirring in their seats?

"Do you accept your nomination?" The brunette, ready with the box in hand, waited for her acceptance.

"Are you kidding? Of course, I do," Kory enthused. She saw as the girl opened the box to reveal a traditional breastpin, which was designed to look like the school emblem.

"Well, duh! Was there ever any doubt?" the brunette teased with a wink as she finished fastening the pin tightly onto Kory's stylish pink-on-black printed shirt.

Kory reached for the nomination envelope, "So who else is in the running?" She was curious to know who else was nominated, or more like who was her competition.

"Well, so far we've pinned you," she brought up her index finger, "and Miriam Delgado," then another finger. "But we have yet to pin Katrin Moth and Mickie Holden."

The girls were only allowed a minute more of conversation before the teacher asked the two to return to their pinning ritual so she could continue on with her lesson plan. They kissed Kory's cheek and gave her their final congratulations before leaving.

"All right, children. Settle down. The excitement is over," Ms. Willis told the class. "Let's get back in our seats." The class grew quiet again as she walked up and down the aisles. "Now as I was going to say, you all know we're winding down to the end of the semester. And soon after, we'll be off for Christmas break." There was a round of cheers and some fist bumps from the jocks that sat near one other. "Which also means semester finals are just around the corner."

Some groans were emitted.

Richard took the time to read the handout she had placed on his desk. _Family Life Education? _He looked up to the teacher as she continued.

"But for this final, we're going to do a _little_ something different." There was a certain sneakiness to her tone.

"Why don't I like the sound of that?" a girl asked warily.

"Let me explain, Pristina. This year, you'll be given a project that will account for fifty percent of your final. This project is an implement into the fundamentals of communication between two people, or society if you will." Mrs. Willis had finally stopped walking and ended up in front of the class. "You students are going to evaluate your social and psychological readiness for marriage--"

"Marriage?" voices echoed around the classroom.

Richard, too, was just as confused as his classmates. What did he know about marriage, other than most ended in divorce now and days? Either way, this kind of assignment would be a first for him.

"Yes, children. Marriage. As part of your midterm exam, you will have a "life" partner of the opposite gender to work with, and you will be pairing off into simulated marriages for the span of about one week. You will complete a series of assignments. They may involve issues stemming from employment, or housing, budgeting monthly expenses, and family planning. These are all issues, and problems that can arise as a result of marriage. You must keep a detailed account of your progress in your Family Education notebook, which I will soon hand out. This is one way that I will be grading your work."

Richard gazed around the room. Everyone seemed to have softened up to the idea. Some even had excited expressions on their faces. He, not so much. This was going to be difficult. He knew none of the girls in here that he could partner with, or at least none that he'd care to.

"After your week is up, you will give a written report of your experience. You can use the handout I gave you as a reference. It's a good indication of what I'm expecting from you. It is important that you understand the basis of this assignment, and grow from it. I'm wanting to know how it affected you, how it changed you. If I feel that you both truly put forth an effort into this project, then it shouldn't be hard to earn a passing grade."

"Hey, Ms. Will," the class clown interrupted. "Steve wants to know if he and Mitch can be homosexual partners." There were loud bursts of laughter, and even the teacher laughed a bit. He brought up his hands, "Gotta get with the times, you know."

"Fuck off, Brent."

"Do not use that kind of language in my classroom, Steven! It's disgusting." After her scolding, she continued. "Now hold on while I get the list with your assigned partners."

"What? Assigned?"

"Yeah," Victor complained. "We don't get to pick who we want to be with?"

"No."

"But is that fair? You might pair us with someone we're not compatible with."

"It's entirely fair, Blake. This project is not about falling in love. The main reason I'm having you work together is to learn how to communicate with one another. Without it, your marriage will fail and so will _you_ on this project."

Blake winced. "That's harsh, Ms. Will."

She paused mid-step. "Tell it to my ex-husband," she retorted just under her breath, traveling to her desk.

The girls scanned through the selection of boys in the class. They were left to chatter wildly and wonder with who they'd be paired off with, while the guys seemed to not really care much either way.

Ms. Willis reached her desk, searching through a mountain of paperwork. "Here it is." She brought up a clipboard with a list attached. "Listen up for your names, children. Okay. Steven, you'll be working with Pristina on this project."

The two looked at each other with skeptical stares, not really happy with her selection. She adding, "You better keep your hands to yourself, Steve." He rolled his eyes. That wouldn't be a problem with her attitude.

"And Victor, you're pairing with Sabrina."

It didn't take long for his girlfriend to whirl around in her seat and speak up. "Just remember, Vic. Make a fool of me, and it'll be the last thing you do."

He ignored the hoots and calls from his friends around him. "Oh, quiet already, woman," he waved off her threat. Though he knew he'd be hearing more from her later.

"I don't know, Victor. I think she means business," Kory added for fun from the seat behind him.

Ms. Willis continued. "Brent, you and Evelyn are together." She scratched their names off her sheet. "Mike and Angel...together." The couple smiled. Not surprising since they already seemed to be an item. "Blake, you'll be married to Kory."

Blake held a satisfied smile, and he placed his hands behind his head, relaxing in his chair, relieved. Kory looked over her shoulder to find him looking back at her. She smiled politely, then looked away to roll her eyes at his smug grin in private.

"Manny and Karen, you two are now married." Manny gulped when he heard Victor warn with a finger pointed at him.

"You best keep it PG, sucka."

"Shut it, Vic." Karen crossed her arms, her hazel eyes riddled with annoyance. "I don't need you defending me. I can do that all on my own."

To this, Victor breathed out harshly. "On second thought, Manny. She's _all yours_ for the next seven days." He mocked dusting off his hands, "Hallelujah!"

Ms. Willis was losing her patience with the constant interruptions. "May I continue, Victor?"

With a toothy grin, he said, "Oh, sure thing, Ms. Will."

"Richard, you're with Valerie." _Oh, no. _If Richard had matched the name with the face correctly, this project wasn't going to go smoothly. This girl whined the most about almost everything. "Grant with Lucy. And finally, Mitchell and Norma."

Mitch took one look at his partner from across the room and asked, "Hey, you're on the pill, right?" All she had for him was a derogatory gesture.

"Okay, quiet down," Ms. Willis said with finality. "Everyone has their partners. Use this time to get together and discuss your project. This won't be a walk in the park, children. It will require much work on both parts. So spend time as a married couple, and work _to-ge-ther_," she enunciated. "I can not stress that enough. Remember, you only have one week to fulfill this assignment. Use your time wisely."

Richard looked around the classroom and saw as the others began shuffling their desks together. _Might as well get this over with._ He walked up to where his partner sat, and scooted a desk by hers, just as everyone else had done with their own partners. She was in the middle of dabbing some pressed powder onto her forehead when she finally acknowledged his presence and looked up. He could tell by the look she gave him that she wanted nothing to do with him. A small grin formed on his face. Even if the feeling was mutual, as least he was trying to be nice about it.

"Hi," he said, but all he received was an eye roll as she shut her compact closed and tossed her brown hair over her shoulder. "So, I'm not sure what--" he began but stopped when she slowly raised her hand for the teacher's attention, which in turn caused Richard to raise one of his black eyebrows.

"Ms. Willis?" she called from her desk.

The lady looked up from her notes, rubbing her tired eyes for a second. "Yes? What is it, Valerie?"

"Can I have a new life partner?"

Richard blinked back, shocked._ What the hell did I do to her? _The rest of the class remained quiet while they took in her request. Richard shifted uncomfortably in his chair as everyone's eyes fixated on them.

"What's wrong with the one you have now?" Ms. Willis pointed to Richard as if he wasn't there listening to them speak about him.

"He's--" she looked Richard up and down, "...just not my type." He could hear the "oohhs" from the class along with some mild giggles, but he didn't bother to see where they came from. He was too embarrassed.  
_  
I'm not her type?_ "That's good to know," Richard mumbled.

Blake shouted, "He's exactly your type, Val! You're a gold digger and he's bankin'! What's the problem?"

"Keep your comments to yourself, Blake!" Ms. Willis turned back to the problem at hand. "No, Valerie. We're not going to be switching partners solely because you're not attracted to him." There was an even louder round of laughter, but the teacher ignored it. "One of the reasons for this assignment is learn social acceptance. To learn to be tolerant and accepting of those you normally wouldn't want to...to chill with." It was the teacher's take at trying to sound hip and cool, which only succeeded at making her look like the outdated woman she was.

"Chill?" Valerie echoed. "No one says that anymore, Ms. Willis."

She had lost her patience with the girl. "Will you just learn to make it work, Valerie?"

Richard could feel his face redden, even as most of the class had already gotten back to their projects. Could this day get any worse?

"But--"

"No! Your attitude is precisely the point for this type of assignment." Ms. Willis ignored her bratty pout and looked behind the pair to see another raised hand. She exhaled tiredly, "Yes, Kory?"

The girl brought her hand back down. "I'll be his life partner."

* * *

**Author's Note: I honestly don't know why I'm beginning another story, especially after I swore to myself I wouldn't write another high school drama again. But I had a vision, and just like that, my hands started typing on their own. Hope you enjoyed this extra, extra long chapter (sorry to those who don't enjoy wordy chapters) though I'm not sure how short this story will be. But I hope to hear feedback from my readers, so please appease me...**


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